Disposer splash guard

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a splash guard for use in a food disposer, with the same situated in a kitchen sink and providing the means through which the housewife passes food waste to the food disposer, proper. The splash guard is made of an elastomer material having a series of split segments, each having the general configuration of a sector of a circle or triangle and providing, in totality, the splash guard section. The elastomer material insures that there is no tendency for food being comminuted to kick back upwardly into the sink area. Further, the elastomer material also provides a sound attenuating and sound barrier means to prevent noise which is generated by the comminution of food waste from passing outwardly through the sink opening. In accordance with the principles of the invention, in order to provide sufficient rigidity to the elastomer material and prevent kickback and provide a sound barrier, each of the portions of the elastomer material includes a series of relief portions on its upper face, with these relief portions so formed that they tend to come together if the elastomer material is urged upwardly. At the same time, bending of the elastomer material downwardly, such as would be done in placing of food waste within the food disposer, tends to move the relieved portions further apart. Thus, the effective cross sectional area of elastomer material, through which bending takes place, is increased for upward bending and decreased for downward bending.

United States Patent 51 Sept. 26, 1972 Musa [S4] DISPOSER SPLASH GUARD [72] Inventor: Raiq S. Muse, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: July 8, 1971 [2l] Appl. No.: 160,592

[52] U.S.Cl ..24l/l00.5

[5 1] Int. Cl. .302: 23/02, B02c l8/42 [58] Field Search ..24l/46 B, l00.5,257 G; 4/], 4/187 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,834,554 5/l958 Bebinger ..24lll00.5

2,980,351 4Il96l Greene ..24lll00.5

3,l63,37l 12/1964 Hardy ..24l/l00.5

Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Attorney-F. H. Henson et al.

{57] ABSTRACT The invention provides a splash guard for use in a food disposer, with the same situated in a kitchen sink and providing the means through which the housewife passes food waste to the food disposer, proper. The splash guard is made of an elastomer material having a series of split segments, each having the general configuration of a sector of a circle or triangle and providing, in totality, the splash guard section. The elastomer material insures that there is no tendency for food being comminuted to kick back upwardly into the sink area. Further, the elastomer material also provides a sound attenuating and sound barrier means to prevent noise which is generated by the comminutlon of food waste from passing outwardly through the sink opening. In accordance with the principles of the invention, in order to provide sufficient rigidity to the elastomer material and prevent kickback and provide a sound barrier, each of the portions of the elastomer material includes a series of relief portions on its upper face, with these relief portions so formed that they tend to come together if the elastomer material is urged upwardly. At the same time, bending of the elastomer material downwardly, such as would be done inplacing of food waste within the food disposer, tends to move the relieved portions further apart. Thus, the effective cross sectional area of elastomer material, through which bending takes place, is increased for upward bending and decreased for downward bending.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Flgures i as E 26 24 DISPOSER SPLASH GUARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a food waste disposer and, more specifically, relates to a splash guard arrangement for use with a food waste disposer.

2. Description of the Prior Art The use of splash guards in food disposer units is old and well known in the food disposer art. These splash guards prevent the passage of food and other waste materials upwardly into the sink area from which the garbage disposer is mounted during comminution of food waste particles and also provide a barrier to prevent passage of comminution generated noise into the area in which the garbage disposer is present. In order to properly fulfill these functions, the splash guard must provide flexibility towards downward bending to permit the passage of food waste into the grinding section of the disposer but, at the same time, must spring back and remain in its normal generally closed position as it functions to prevent splashing and to diminish noise emanated to the surroundings adjacent to the food disposer.

Two patents which disclose a splash guard having less flexibility in upward bending as compared to downward bending are US. Pat. No. 2,834,554, issued May I3, 1958, and US. Pat. No. 3,432,108, issued Mar. 1 1, i969. The first of these patents illustrates embossed ribs formed on the upper side of the splash guard to provide the differing bendability and the second of these patents illustrates the use of folded rib sections that provide the same function. However, each of these structures suffers at least partially from a deticiency. The use of an embossed rib, (first patent) unless the ribs are made exceedingly deep, in comparison to the thickness of the major portion of the splash guard, does not provide a sufficient difference in the upward and downward bending resiliency of the splash guard to fully satisfy the effective functioning requirements of a splash guard. in the splash guard arrangement of the more recent patent, a splash guard structure has been provided which probably functions more effectively to reduce noise and prevent splashback, but this structure is fairly complicated and requires the use of considerably more elastomer material than a standard splash guard utilized in food disposers.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a splash guard configuration having the desired resiliency to bending in the downward direction to permit the passage of food waste therethrough and yet have sufficient stiffness to return to its normal position and act as a sound barrier. At the same time, resistance to bending in the upward direction should increase to prevent splash back and also alternate noise and all these functions should be accomplished without the addition of a great deal more material to the splash guard structural configuration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a splash guard having a series of substantially triangularly or sector shaped downwardly and radially inwardly depending leaves that form a basket shape so as to isolate the sink on which food disposer is mounted from the internal movable operating portions of the food disposer. The

splash guard is made of a resilient, elastomer material so that the leaves may be bent radially outwardly and downwardly for the passage of food particles interiorly to the grinding parts of the food disposer for their proper comminution. In order to permit easy bending of these leaves downwardly, but, at the same time, to provide a splash guard having great noise attenuation and anti-splash characteristics, each of the leaves is provided with a series of reliefs on its upper surface so that the cross sectional area which comes under bending is considerably less upon downward bending in comparison to the same leaves when subjected to upward bending. The relative rigidity of the leaves to upward bending is thereby enhanced.

In the first embodiment of the invention, a series of slits are formed in each of the leaves to extend concentrically relative to the basket shape. These slits are provided throughout the total extent of the top surface of each of the leaves so that downward bending of the leaf makes the width of the slit wider and wider so that the effective cross sectional area in downward bending is substantially reduced to only a portion of the total thickness of the leaf. At the same time upward bending of each of the leaves tends to move the sides of each of the slits into abutting adjacency so that the effective cross sectional area of upward bending is substantially the total thickness of each of the leaves.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the upper surface of the leaves are provided with a series of semicircular ripples, with the ripples extending concentrically relative to the basket shape and being provided throughout the upper surface of each of the leaves. In this manner, a downward bending of the splash guard moves the semicircular ripples farther and farther apart so that the effective cross sectional areas subjected to bending is considerably less that the total thickness of each of the leaves. Upward bending, of course, moves each of the semicircular ripples to closer and closer abutting engagement to thereby effectively increase the cross sectional area against upward bending.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the preferred embodiments, exemplary of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a food waste disposer in which the splash guard of the invention may be disposed;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the splash guard of the first embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of one of the leaves of the first embodiment in a normal, closed, non-bent position;

FIG. 4 is a view of the same leaf after it has been bent downwardly to an open position;

FIG. 5 is a view of one of the leaves of the second embodiment in a normal, closed, non-bent position; and

FIG. 6 is a view of the same leaf, with the leaf being bent downwardly to open position for the reception of food waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a food waste disposer is mounted from a sink 12 by a conventional sink flange I4 that is mounted within the sink drain so as to extend downwardly therefrom. A gasket 16 abuts against the bottom portion of the sink which borders the drain, with the gasket 16 being pressed into a water tight relationship with the sink 12 by means of a clamping ring 18.

The water tight relationship is achieved in the following manner. A supporting ring 21 is mounted to sink flange l4 and supported by means of a metallic O-ring 20, disposed in an annular groove 22 formed in the sink flange 14. Support ring 21 includes a series of three lug portions 24 (only one shown), with each of the lug portions including a threaded aperture means 26 through which a supporting stud 28 is threadedly inserted to bear against clamping ring 18 to urge the clamping ring into tight engagement with the gasket 16, compressing this gasket against the bottom side of the sink 12.

Support ring 21 also provides the mounting means for the remainder of the food waste disposer 10. More specifically, this ring includes a series of downwardly depending pronged lugs 30 which engage and support an elastomeric ring 32 from which the remainder of the food waste disposer 10 is mounted in depending fashion. A more detailed description of this specific mounting arrangement can be found in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 72,393, filed on Sept. 15, I970, and titled, Rapid Mounting System for Food Waste Disposer" and owned by a common assignee. Reference may be had to this application for a more thorough understanding of the general construction of food waste disposer 10.

Mounted within the sink flange 14 is a splash guard 34, with the structure of splash guard 34 representing the novel and inventive features of this application. The splash guard 34 is maintained within garbage disposer 10 by means of a bead 36 extending annularly around the internal periphery of sink flange l4 and with the same formed by the forming operation that forms annular groove 22 in this member. The splash guard 34 includes a thickened neck portion 38 having generally annular sides that extend in confronting relationship with the internal generally annular periphery of the sink flange 14. The neck portion 38 includes an annular groove 40 extending therearound which mates with the annular head 36 of the sink flange 14. Thus, it can be seen that the splash guard 34 may be easily mounted within the sink flange 14, once the garbage disposer 10 has been mounted in the sink, by merely inserting the splash guard 14 through the opening in the sink flange and pressing downward thereon until the annular groove 40 of splash guard 34 mates with the annular bead 36 of sink flange 14.

The neck portion 38 of splash guard 34 also includes a series of three strengthening ribs 42 immediately below the groove 40 (a differing number could be utilized, if desired) which are formed by providing a series of three equally spaced chords at the internal periphery of the neck portion 38 and then filling the area outwardly from the chords by providing a solid mass of material between each of the chords and the inner. annular periphery of neck portion 38. The reinforcing ribs 42 are disposed and spaced below the annular groove 40 so that they merge smoothly into a series of leaves 44 that form the basket-like portion of the splash guard 34. Food waste may be passed through these leaves so as to be comminuted by garbage disposer 10. Because of the aforesaid location of the reinforcing ribs, they provide additional strength and reinforce ment for the leaves while, at the same time, rigidifying the neck portion 38 of the splash guard 34 to a sufficient extent to insure proper mating of the annular groove 40 in bead 36.

In the invention as illustrated, a series of six leaves 44 are utilized to provide the basket shape portion of the splash guard 34. Each of these leaves is of equal extent to substantially divide the basket shape into six equal parts so that the force required for bending is substantially equal for each of the leaves. It should be noted that a differing number of leaves could be utilized in the practice of the invention.

Between each of the leaves 44, a slit 46 exists that ex tends upwardly and outwardly towards the neck portion 38 and with each of these slits being terminated slightly below this neck portion by a bore 48 formed half in each of two adjoining leaves 44. At their other ends, each of the leaves 44 terminates in an annular lower wall 50 so that all the leaves 44 together form a basket portion that is truncated at its bottom with the annular wall 50 of each leaf being concentric so that a generally small circular bore 52 is formed at the bottom of the splash guard 34. The bore 52 is enlarged when the leaves 44 are bent downwardly so that food waste may be passed through the outwardly bent leaves 44 and the then enlarged bore 52. The bore 52 also func' tions as a means for permitting the passage of rinse water into the food waste disposer 10 during comminution of food waste so that the food ,waste may be easily and conveniently carried to a drain (not shown), providing an attached manner (not shown) to the food waste disposer 10.

It should also be noted that the bores 48 serve as air vents to permit the upward flow of air outwardly of the food waste disposer as downward flow of water through central bore 52 displaces the same within the food waste disposer housing.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, each of the major, upper surfaces of leaves 44 includes a series of closely spaced striae or slits 54 that extend across each leaf annularly so that each of the slits or striae is concentric with the basket shape of the splash guard 34 in the preferred embodiment. However, the slits could be parallel and spaced radially relative to the splash guard and it would still function satisfactorily. Each of the slits 54 has a depth that extends approximately medially through the thickness of each of the leaves 44. In the non-deformed, normal condition of the splash guard 34 (FIG. 3) a pair of sides 56 and 58, forming the sides of each of the slits 54, are in abutting contact. When the leaves are bent outwardly and downwardly for the deposition of food waste or the like within the housing for food waste disposer 10, each of the leaves 44 takes the general configuration shown in FIG. 4. In this position, the sides 56 and 58 for each stria or slit 54 are in diverging relationship relative to each other. Thus, downward bending of the leaves 44 causes divergence of the sides 56 and 58, permitting easy downward deformation of the leaves 44 since the cross sectional area of the leaf through which bending occurs is substantially less than the total thickness of each leaf. Turning again to FIG. 3, it can be seen that a tendency towards upward bending of the leaves 44, such as would occur with the kickback of food waste being comminuted, for example, would be resisted by substantially the full thickness of the leaves 44. Therefore, resistance to bending in an upward direction is considerably enhanced over resistance to downward bending with the configuration of leaves as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

In the second embodiment of the invention (FIGS. 5 and 6) primed numerals indicate similar but unlike elements as compared to the first embodiment. Each of the leaves 44' of splash guard 34' of the second embodiment is formed similarly to the leaves of the first embodiment save for the major, upper surface of each leaf. The upper surface of each leaf 44 is provided with a series of beads 60 which are semicircular in cross section and tangent to each other at a common jointure 62 between them so that the uppermost portion of all the semicircular beads form the major upper surface of the leaves 44' and so that grooves or striae 45 are formed therebetween to provide the relief necessary. Each of the grooves 45 is also annularly disposed relative to the center of the basket portion of splash guard 34 but, as with the slits 54, the grooves or striae 45 could be aligned. Thus, the downward deflection of the leaves 44' (FIG. 6) places the peripheral sides of beads 60 in a more and more diverging relationship relative to each other than the disposition of the beads 60 in their normal, unbent condition (FIG. 5) so that the cross sectional areas of leaf 44' through which bending must occur is considerably lessened as more and more downward bending occurs. Again, referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that upward bending of the leaves 44', places each of the beads 60 in a closer and closer relationship to its adjoining bead, thus effectively increasing the cross sectional area through which bending must occur to provide a substantially stiffer response to upward bending to thereby prevent kickback.

In view of the above description, it should appear clear that the described splash guard arrangements satisfy all the advantages set forth at the beginning portion of the description. It should also be obvious that both embodiments of the invention provide a splash guard having an extremely simplified structure, requiring a reasonable amount of material but one which also provides a varying degree of resiliency of sufficient magnitude so that the splash guard resists upward bending but may be easily bent downwardly and yet, at the same time, with a judicious selection of material and thickness, returns to a stable normal position. It should also appear clear that the description offered is only exemplary and that many modifications might occur to one skilled in the art which would still fall in the spirit and purview of the description offered.

I claim as my invention: 1. A splash guard for use in a food waste disposer including;

a. a series of leaves disposed in a basket shape, and b. the upper surfaces of said leaves being striated with the striae being radially spaced with respect to the center of said splash guard, said striae being of su icient de i to the ic nesso said leaves that ownward exi ng of sgid leaves l s promoted by the multitude of hinge lines formed at the bottom of said striae, said striae being sufficiently narrow that upward flexing substantially beyond the normal at-rest position of said leaves is resisted by the abutment of facing edges on opposite sides of adjoining stria. 2. A splash guard for use in a food waste disposer including;

a. a series of leaves downwardly and inwardly disposed relative to said food waste disposer, and

relief means provided extending into the top surface of said leaves for increasingly reducing their effective cross sectional area for one direction of bending of said leaves, whereby said leaves are stable in a normal nonbent condition, possess spring back and are increasingly resistant to upward bending and decreasingly resistant to downward bending to thereby effectively function as a sound barrier, anti-splash arrangement and reception means for food waste for said food waste.

. The splash guard set out in claim 2 wherein;

a. said leaves are disposed in a basket arrangement with the smaller portion of the basket shape disposed downwardly relative to said food waste disposer.

. The splash guard set out in claim 2 wherein;

a. said means for relieving the surface of said leaves comprises a series of thin slits disposed in said leaves.

. The splash guard set out in claim 2 wherein;

a. said means for relieving the surface of said leaves comprises a series of grooves formed between a series of semicircular beads formed on said leaves.

. The splash guard set out in claim 5 wherein;

. said semicircular beads are formed tangent to each other at any cross section therethrough.

. The splash guard set out in claim 4 wherein;

. said series of thin slits are concentric relative to the center of said guard.

. The splash guard set out in claim 5 wherein;

. said series of grooves are concentric to the center of said guard.

# l I i I 

1. A splash guard for use in a food waste disposer including; a. a series of leaves disposed in a basket shape, and b. the upper surfaces of said leaves being striated with the striae being radially spaced with respect to the center of said splash guard, said striae being of sufficient depth into the thickness of said leaves that downward flexing of said leaves is promoted by the multitude of hinge lines formed at the bottom of said striae, said striae being sufficiently narrow that upward flexing substantially beyond the normal at-rest position of said leaves is resisted by the abutment of facing edges on opposite sides of adjoining stria.
 2. A splash guard for use in a food waste disposer including; a. a series of leaves downwardly and inwardly disposed relative to said food waste disposer, and b. relief means provided extending into the top surface of said leaves for increasingly reducing their effective cross sectional area for one direction of bending of said leaves, whereby said leaves are stable in a normal non-bent condition, possess spring back and are increasingly resistant to upward bending and decreasingly resistant to downward bending to thereby effectively function as a sound barrier, anti-splash arrangement and reception means for food waste for said food waste.
 3. The splash guard set out in claim 2 wherein; a. said leaves are disposed in a basket arrangement with the smaller portion of the basket shape disposed downwardly relative to said food waste disposer.
 4. The splash guard set out in claim 2 wherein; a. said means for relieving the surface of said leaves comprises a series of thin slits disposed in said leaves.
 5. The splash guard set out in claim 2 wherein; a. said means for relieving the surface of said leaves comprises a series of grooves formed between a series of semicircular beads fOrmed on said leaves.
 6. The splash guard set out in claim 5 wherein; a. said semicircular beads are formed tangent to each other at any cross section therethrough.
 7. The splash guard set out in claim 4 wherein; a. said series of thin slits are concentric relative to the center of said guard.
 8. The splash guard set out in claim 5 wherein; a. said series of grooves are concentric to the center of said guard. 